Environment Directorate Taxi Licensing Survey Results Wheelchair Users

1 Environment Directorate Taxi Licensing Survey Results Wheelchair Users Survey Results 2007/08 ----------------------------- 2 Taxi Licensing Wheelchair Users Survey Results: 2007/08 A total of 349 surveys were returned out of a possible 2329 which equates to a 15% return. The results are as follows: Q1. Where in Salford do you live? Base 337 100.0% Where in Salford do you live? (If unsure please include y... 7 Barton 2.1% 6 Boothstown & Ellenbrook 1.8% 31 Broughton 9.2% 7 Cadishead 2.1% 21 Claremont 6.2% 59 Eccles 17.5% 16 Irlam 4.7% 5 Irwell Riverside 1.5% 6 Kersal 1.8% 11 Langworthy 3.3% 20 Little Hulton 5.9% 13 Ordsall 3.9% 15 Pendlebury 4.5% 32 Swinton North 9.5% 22 Swinton South 6.5% 17 Walkden North 5.0% 6 Walkden South 1.8% 15 Weaste & Seedley 4.5% 12 Winton 3.6% 16 Worsley 4.7% 3 Q2. Are you a wheelchair user? 100% 314 93% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 24 7% 10% 0% Yes No Q3. Is a black cab the only taxi suitable for your needs? 60% 162 52% 149 50% 48% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Yes No 4 Q4. Have you experienced any problems ordering a black cab? 80% 191 69% 69% 57% 46% 85 34% 31% 23% 11% 0% Yes No Q6. Do you think that Salford City Council should make more black cabs available for hire by removing its policy of restricting the number of licenses it issues for taxis? 80% 167 72% 70% 60% 50% 40% 66 28% 30% 20% 10% 0% Yes No 5 Taxi Licensing Wheelchair User Survey Results Comments 2007/08 Snap Q4. Have you experienced any problems ordering a black cab? Case If yes what were these? No. 1 Most days when phoned for a disabled taxi, it is unavailable or waiting time at least 2 - 4 hours. Saltax always say they have no taxis available! When I’m going to precinct with one of my carers if after phoning to order the taxi my partner takes me in the car there are between 20 & 30 taxis at the rank. Saltax will not let you pre-book a taxi. They offer to take you to where you’re going but 4 won’t let you pre-book a taxi back. If you phone for a black cab on a Sunday you cannot get one and when you phone any time for a 9 driver that takes the travel vouchers very few of them do so you wait a long time. 12 I cannot get up into a clack cab can only use them if fitted with a ramp. They often arrive late and I miss the beginning of meetings and other activities, on one occasion I 16 was not secured and the day centre forwarded a complaint to the company on my behalf. On school runs are unavailable, also when we took a trip to the Trafford Centre the Black cab was not allowed to pick us up from the front of the building at the door it was pouring with rain and we had to go across the car park to get into it outside the orient exit. We were soaked. Taxis in the Trafford Centre had no taxis available or working for disabled. We had to call another company to 22 pick us up and wait till they arrived. 23 We order private hire Blackline who are very good. We can only get a black cab at certain times as from 2 o'clock they do the school run or so we are 24 told when we phone for one. 26 Only disabled cabs Black cabs will not come to Little Hulton my fiancé has electric wheelchair and finds it hard to get in 29 taxi I have early calls for Hospital and Doctor's appointments between 8.30 - 9.30 - school runs so I have to make my own way on my powered wheelchair, wet - cold, windy, not everyone’s cup of 32 tea. 36 Mostly use ring & ride 37 There isn’t always a cab available. 39 Do not usually use taxis 40 Don’t know any of black cab phone numbers. Child has disabilities and is 3yrs old. We have our own transport so the taxi service has never 42 been used. 43 I have never ordered a black cab I use local company's. 49 I only use Saltax taxis only and find very good service. Precise dates unknown, but the black cabs are not readily available from the firms operating in the Swinton are because they only have a limited number available that can carry wheelchairs and they are used to transport disabled children to special schools making it extremely difficult for adults wishing to reach railway stations before 10.30 am. Only Saltax have a fleet which has been 52 totally adapted to carry wheelchairs as far as I am aware. Not enough of them! That is why Gent has to go to his centres by SS bus, you never know if the 55 taxi will turn up. I have a private arrangement with one of the Salford registered black cabs, so have no problem. I 57 am unable to leave my wheelchair, so must use a black cab. 59 I don’t use black cabs 60 We do not use any taxis 63 During 8.30am to 10am and 2.30pm to 4pm its school contract hours. Problems with private hire companies who charge £15 - £20 per return journey from Monton to 65 Swinton to attend Red Cross day centres. I live in a housing scheme and I am disabled (lost my right leg four years ago) I very rarely use 66 taxis if we do go out at night we use ring and ride to go to concerts as a group. I have found the only wheelchair usable cab is from 'Swinton 1010' taxi firm but they only have one 68 and one insured driver for the vehicle. Couldn’t get one when I phoned for one. If I try to pre book one, they always say they can’t and I should phone for one in ten mins before I need it. Then most of the time I cannot get one so I miss my hospital appointment, as I cannot get to them. Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 occasions of me 69 phoning before I get an answer. There should be more phone no's 72 /my husband tends to drive me to any functions. 6 A requested wheelchair user, pre-booked black cab arrived, the driver had no metal ramps with him, he told my son he would lift me into his cab if my son would help, my son refused to do this, the driver got upset, refused to call his operator line and my son had to call the company to request another taxi cab with ramps to come to take me to my appointment. Needless to say I was late 73 arriving to my appointments. You can sometimes book a black cab but have had no success in asking to be picked up on return. You have to take a chance on getting home; I have a mobile no which a taxi driver gave me, that is 82 more satisfactory. Drivers who are unhelpful when faced with the extra work or saying their vehicles are not suitable 83 for wheelchair access, as well as bookings being refused due to 'too busy' or no cabs in area. 85 They are not always available. 86 No black cabs avail and when you do get one often the ramp is broken or not in the vehicle. May I point out that my wife cannot be transferred to a vehicle without a chain but it needn’t be a black cab, a van with a high roof and ramp at the back is acceptable she has used both. Finding a 89 taxi firm with a suitable vehicle when you want it is a problem. The only problem is the time waiting for a cab to be avail, not possible to book black cab in advance, have to phone when you need one so I find if I have for example Dr's appt I have to 90 phone an hour before appt, because of wait time. Waiting a long time for it or none available, one day waited 5 hours for one to go to Barton Brook 91 Nursing Home. Had my husband for a few hours had to get the bus. I phoned local taxi companies to enquire if they had a black cab type vehicle available. Most firms said they didn’t have these cabs. The ones who said yes booked the date and time I needed a cab (Hope Hospital appt) I phoned 2/3 days in advance and was told everything was in order but on the day the cab either didn’t arrive or came late. The promised return home cab also wasn’t available. This caused me a great deal of stress and it seems the cabs are in use each afternoon to transport 92 children from special education schools. I have found since moving to little Hulton that there are no black cabs operating in the area, the nearest I have found are Bolton/Eccles when trying to hire 1 have been told they will only do long journeys, I have felt very isolated since moving one time I had to pay £15 for a 5 min journey as it 93 came from Eccles, I feel disabled people don’t get a fair deal.

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